pirate party

Popa built a pirate ship in the backyard and reminded me that Che's 5th birthday was fast approaching. A pirate party was absolutely necessary, apparently, so I set about burning the edges of tea-stained paper and sending out scrolls as invites.

I don't think I've ever seen Che as excited as he was on Saturday. It was overwhelming at times and then were many pirate battles on the rough seas (gale force winds). But in between snacking on fairy bread and popcorn and playing a good old game of pass-the-parcel this sweet bunch of kids chatted and laughed and painted their little hearts out. 

Che spent days toing and froing between chocolate cake and vanilla sponge but finally decided to go with the firm family favourite. Everyone stayed a little longer to savour the sweets and share heartfelt gifts. Mid-afternoon we waved farewell to worn-out pirates and collapsed in an exhausted heap....ready for a nap we were.

Just before bed Che declared it "....the best day ever." It was truly wonderful - I hope he remembers it forever.

Che wears tin tin pants c/o Udder and Bergstein Gumboots c/o Fawn & Fox. If you are planning a party anytime soon I highly recommend making the fluffiest vanilla cupcakes (I used butter icing - 3tbs unsalted butter, 110g sifted icing sugar, 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest and 2 tsp lemon juice). And for little party favours? - the vintage mini paint set was an absolute hit.

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"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2012."

Che: "Argh me hearties" - bellowed from the bow of the ship.

Poet: A grazed nose and sore gums...but oh, that bonnet.

Che Che is five, hip hip hooray! There's so much to celebrate, five years to reflect on and the quiet acknowledgment of my birth day. 

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bloomers

Today we snuck into the neighbour's garden and picked the last of the lemons from the tree. Yellow fruit has been replaced with blush pink blooms - and a swarm of bees on the sweet nectar trail.

It is most definitely spring now...Poet wears bloomers without tights, her soft white knees scratched and red from her fast-paced crawl. If I were to write a children's book right now it would go something like this:

Poet Winter couldn't walk but by gosh could she climb.

She liked to climb from the chair to the table and pull flowers from the vase. Her Muma would say "Get down from there!" but there she stayed, hiding behind her curly mop of hair. 

Sometimes, when she was hungry, she would push the step stool into the kitchen and climb up to the fruit bowl. She liked to take small bites from oranges and lemons and apples too. And then her Muma would find her and say "Get down from there!"

When Poet Winter wasn't climbing she was standing. She would stand in the bath and in her highchair and on the bed and her Muma would say "On your bottom!" But Poet Winter didn't listen. She kept standing and dancing and giggling and smiling. 

After the bath she would crawl away so fast that her Muma couldn't catch her. Around and around the house they would go and her Muma would say "Poet Winter, come back here now!"

At bedtime, when the night was dark and the lights were dim, Poet Winter lay down for stories and sleep. No more crawling, no more climbing, no more standing. Sleep time. And her Muma would say "Good night Poet Winter. Sleep tight."

almost five

At around this time every year I wander through the days leading up to his birthday, trying my hardest to accept that he is one year older. The universal experience of the mother.

I could write about how difficult it is to comprehend five.....because five is a whole new stage and a much bigger world.

But instead I will just say... I am so very happy that he is five. I am so very sad that he is five. 

I snapped this photo of him a few days ago while we were discussing his birthday presents. He hasn't asked for much and I'm sticking to my golden present rule. On Saturday we will celebrate pirate style with his Montessori friends and on Sunday we will stay home, eat pancakes for breakfast and bask in the sweetness of five-year-old Che.

hello!

Our beautiful friend Sarah Humphreys sings the sweetest tunes. Her latest album is hello and Daniel filmed the music video for the first single Like a House Needs a Door.

I took on the role of Creative Director (not really) and was there for the two days of filming. Apparently standing behind a camera unleashes a significant amount of confidence; enough for me to ask the waiter at the cafe to "...be a bit sexier." 

I hope you like this rather nostalgic film. It's so very Sarah - fun, whimsical and a little bit quirky. 

hello is available to buy on itunes and in your favourite music stores - you and your kids will love it, promise.

grounded

At the moment the days are rolling into one another; a blur of emails, stories and day-to-day busyness. Somehow, three editorial deadlines have fallen on the exact same day as Che's birthday. Throw into the mix a pirate party and a request for the best chocolate cake with strawberries please mum and I have a ridiculously full week ahead of me.

I'm a thinker, a dreamer and a worrier. Often I spend far too much time in my head. When I need clarity I go for a walk and most of the time I take the children with me. Che, like most little ones, is fascinated by the minutiae. When we walk he's always ten steps behind; following the ants, inspecting the broken fence, collecting fallen blooms. Before long I join him and whilst it isn't purposeful, I end up crouching to his height, gathering pods and leaves and seeds, and grounding myself. It's like a beautiful yoga practice, where I settle into my body, connect to the earth, and exhale. 

When people discover that I am a yoga teacher the immediate presumption goes something like this: vegetarian, 5am sun salutations, ever-calm-(((((((om))))))))-muma. The reality? I eat meat, I can't remember the last time I rose with the sun to practice and I om to calm myself when the stress-levels peak. When I birthed Che and tried to navigate that strange first year I came to realise that yoga isn't my asana (posture) practice at all. My yoga is staying present when the tasks ahead are overwhelming, practicing a few rounds of cat stretching on the kitchen floor while dinner cooks, breathing bhramari (humming bee breath) in the shower to settle my nervous system. 

Yoga is an afternoon walk where I mimic the pace of my little yogi. Meditation is arranging our treasure on the table when we return home. 

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"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2012."

Che: Sensitive, thoughtful and so very engaging. He turns five this week. Sigh.

Poet: ...climbs everything. "She's cute but gosh, she's hard work."

Last week on facebook I asked whether many of you were interested in doing your very own 52 next year. There was a resounding "yes" ... so it seems that 2013 will be the year for a portrait a week. Will you be joining in?

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sakura bloom - a silk and linen giveaway

After winning The Sling Diaries I was given a gift voucher to Sakura Bloom. But, as you may have already noticed, I own a few gorgeous slings and if I add more to my collection I may be setting myself up for a quadruplet pregnancy.

So...I'm going to play it safe and pass on some babywearing love.

I'm giving away two slings - one simple sling featuring a double layer of dupioni silk (valued at $180usd) and one pure sling featuring a single layer of Irish linen (valued at $88usd).

There will be two winners. The first name drawn will get to choose either the silk or the linen. Both winners will get to choose their very favourite colour - like lavender, wheat, shale, terracotta, sangria....good luck with that!

You can enter this giveaway a maximum of three times:

• first entry - following Che & Fidel over there on the right
• second entry - popping over to Che & Fidel on facebook and hitting 'like'
• third entry - sharing this giveaway on either facebook/instagram/your blog

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. (If you can't see your comment press the 'load more' link under the comments box). If you like, tell me whether you would choose the silk or linen and what colour you have your eye on. The winners will be chosen by the random number generator and published in this post on Wednesday 26th at around 9pm EST. Winners will be contacted by email. This giveaway is open to international readers.

Update: comments closed. The first winner is #230 Max, the second winner is #71 Kate. Congratulations ladies....I'll be in touch x

photos: (left) I wear Poet in the simple silk sling in amber....photo by tim (right) I wear Poet in the pure linen sling in twilight...photo by tamara

an unhurried childhood

I clearly remember the first day we took Che to Montessori. We walked slowly, following his amble, and when we reached the gate his teacher welcomed us. "I like that you let Che take his time," he said.

I thought about that comment as I drove Che to school yesterday. I thought about it in reference to the hurriedness of our morning; the bread that I eyed as it took forever to defrost, the lost drink bottle, the blankets and books that went flying as we hunted for a hat.

This morning, just like most days, Che was unperturbed by time. He sat in a cardboard box popping bubble wrap; Poet was close by marvelling at a balloon. I was thinking about my role as the gentle hurrier - c'mon, c'mon, c'mon as I mentally tick the list - bag, jumper, hat, drink bottle, sunscreen, book for news, fruit for snack. If I didn't hurry we would never get to school on time; hurrying is necessary but sometimes I wish it wasn't so.

              This week the new issue of Little One Kids comes out and in it is a feature about Elsa and Hugo's rooms. I had the pleasure of interviewing Michelle (the muma) and writing the story. Her two children, older than mine, are beautiful - kind, intelligent and thoughtful. Out of all the questions that Michelle answered there was one about extra-curricular activities that really resonated with me. She is passionate about an unhurried childhood -.slow days spent close to home without the need to do every.single.available.activity. As a result her children have a palpable love of their abode and are happy to spend their weekends in the garden, down the dirt road, chasing the rather endearing Spoon - the dog. 

As a writer one of the best things that can come from working on a story is understanding. I loved reading Michelle's words as she discussed the considered rhythm of their days in country Tasmania. I've been thinking about Che and how next year, as he trots off to school, I'll do my best to not get caught up in the whirr of schedules, after-school activities and weekend to-dos. 

Our mornings will be rushed, our weekends will be pyjama-clad and, hopefully, I'll be able to slow childhood, just a bit. Am I dreaming?

photo: a little cottage in berry....

37/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2012."

Che: His behaviour was appalling...and then I realised that it was dusk and he hadn't eaten since lunch. 

Poet: Like the cat got the cream, Poet got the sugar.

By far and most definitely my favourite portrait of Poet. Do you agree?

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sakura bloom sling diaries....a win

A big thank you for following my six diary entries over the past few months and for leaving so many beautiful comments. The winners were announced this afternoon and I'm delighted to share the win with the lovely Mary Catherine and Carolee.

Babywearing...it's been so nice to share the Sakura Bloom love.

spring : a new kind of normal

I've just realised that for the time being, I'm never going to get to the bottom of my list. 

For the past few weeks I've really struggled with my lack of time. I've wondered why, at this point in my mothering journey, the professional opportunities keep arriving in abundance. I have tried over and over and over again to get to the point where my work is done, the house is clean and I can just sit with a cup of tea. It hasn't happened, I haven't come close.

Yesterday Che received a letter from his new school, detailing dates and times for orientation and I sat bemused trying to fathom where five years went. As he asked Daniel about buddies and canteen and wide-brimmed school hats I reminisced about his birth and his blonde curls and his love of the stars.

Today I went to the shopping centre and there were Christmas decorations and 2013 diaries. But it's only just spring. If I stepped outside tonight I would say it was still winter.

                             ...................................................................................................................................................................

Since reading Maxabella's post last week I've been thinking about my normal. I said to Daniel: "I spend so much time trying to get back to normal - I should just accept that 'juggling' is normal." The revelation. 

So, instead of wallowing in the unproductive days and the long list of to-dos, a few things have changed. I'm listening to my own advice and reminding myself to be here now. For now, just be here. I've declared 4:30pm 'play in the garden time' for Daniel and the kids so that I can cook in relative quiet (I do quite enjoy it). I have accepted that although I could work seven days a week, I can't and I won't. I'm revelling in the slow and steady spring clean that's happening one drawer at a time. And if the decluttering falls into summer, so be it. 

I'm also accepting the fact that Che will start kindergarten next year and it will be wonderful. But because I am his mum I am allowed to cry every time I drive past the school gates, every time I think about him in a too-big-for-his-head hat, every time I smell wattle, gumtrees and vegemite; the scent of the playground.